One Rainy Day
by Gail Hutchens
Summary: One rainy day when Raguna comes to visit Bianca, she gets a huge, wonderful surprise.


Bianca de Sainte-Coquille loved rainy days. Ever since she was a child, she had enjoyed sitting on her purple cushioned stool and gazing out of her window, watching cold raindrops race their way down her window pane. The soft _tap-tap_ lulled her, and she greeted each new onslaught of Earth-bound water with joy. Unlike the other village girls, who moped and complained about being stuck in their house, not able to see any of the Kardian boys or walk on the beach or visit the library or anything else they might enjoy doing, she wished for these days. Even more now that that young, brown-haired amnesiac had come to town, she reflected, because that was when he could spend the most time with her. Usually he tended his farm most of the day, watering, weeding, harvesting, but on days like this one, which he deemed too difficult to work in, he would merely take care of his monsters and then come straight to her at the manor.

Raguna arrived in Kardia on New Years Day, which was only a few seasons ago, she realized. It had seemed like so much longer. The slight, handsome young man had easily fit in with all the residents of Kardia. He could walk into a room, easily make conversation with anyone in it, and have fun in the process. All the girls adored him, and, although Bianca didn't like it, she whole-heartedly agreed with them. The farmer was the only one who had taken the time to get to know her, actually know her-not just, "Oh, yeah, I know that snotty, blue-haired, rich girl," know her. On his first day, he had come right up to her and kindly said hello, even though she had spoken rudely to him previously. He hadn't judged her by first appearance, which made him alright in her book.

And here he was now, she saw happily. Indeed, the farmer was knocking on the manor's front door, the rain dropping into his hair and onto his clothing not seeming to bother him. He looked clean and well groomed, and even looked as if he had just recently ironed out his clothing. The amnesiac waited for someone to opened the door, and eventually Tabatha, Bianca's blue-haired, elven maid, let him in. Feeling excited, the rich girl fluffed her hair and gracefully stood at the top of the stairs, waiting for her friend to notice her. He walked in, thanked the maid, and looked up to see her. She tried to look regal, holding her chin up and throwing out her shoulders, and smiled to him when he waved.

"Greetings, fair Bianca," he said, bowing to her, not seeming to notice when he dripped rainwater on the floor. He allowed Tabatha to take his coat for him. "What a pleasure it is to see you on such a pleasant day as this." He smiled.

"The same to you, Mister Raguna, except I have got to point out that it is a downpour today." she smirked.

"Of course, but it is no less pleasant since I can see you," he answered sincerely, starting to ascend the stairs to her. His boots made faint little _clunk-clunk_s on the marble, and now that his coat had been removed, his relatively dry white shirt billowed in the breeze of his movement.

"That's very nice of you," she said, waiting for him to arrive at her side.

"It's true," he stated, now three quarters of the way up. "Just thinking of you brings me joy." she had nothing to say to that.

"Is your father about?" he asked her when he was only a few steps from the top. The girl thought that this was a very odd question to ask her, but she answered it nonetheless.

"No," she told the farmer. He nodded in relief.

"Fantastic," he whispered, almost to himself, but still gazing into her face. "Brilliant."

"What is?" she asked, now thoroughly confused.

"Bianca, ever since I set eyes upon you, seasons ago, I knew that you were the one." he said, standing facing her. "You were pretty and smart and funny, and I loved you. Please say you'll marry me." He knelt down and produced a gold ring from his pocket, which had a single diamond set in it. A gasp of surprise caught in her throat. Compared to Bianca's other jewelry, it was rather plain; she took to larger, more showier pieces. However, she loved it more because it meant something to her.

"Yes, I will!" she said, smiling and hugging him. He pressed her lips to his and held her close, turning slightly in the momentum of this show of passionate affection. When they broke apart, he took her hand in his.

"May I?" he asked, showing that he was going to slide the ring onto her finger. The girl nodded vigorously and felt a kind of thrill she had never before experienced run through her body. She was really going to be married to the man of her dreams, Raguna, the handsome, strong amnesiac whom she had fallen in love with. The rich girl was overjoyed just thinking that.

"I love you, Raguna! So much!" she exclaimed, hugging him again. She stood on her tiptoes so that she was fairly even with her fiancé. "Just wait 'til we tell Father!"

His smile faltered a bit, and this did not go unnoticed by Bianca. "What's wrong?" she asked him, cocking her head to one side.

"It's just that, well, I haven't gotten his permission yet." he told her. He put his hands on her waist and looked down to her adoringly, but still a bit concerned.

It took a moment for what he said to sink in. Then, "You mean he doesn't approve?" she asked him.

"No, he doesn't know." he corrected her. "I didn't tell him my plan."

"Oh," Bianca said to him. "Well, why don't you tell him when he comes home? Look, he's here now!" She grabbed the hand of her fiancé and pulled him down the stairs. Jasper was just shutting the door when he was hit with the news. "We're getting married!"

The rotund gastronomist's eyes bulged. He spluttered, "Wha-who...Bianca, how did?" then his eyes found Raguna, who was right behind his daughter, looking a bit scared, which was perfectly understandable, as Jasper seemed quite shocked and possibly angry at the fact that he had just proposed to his daughter without his knowledge.

"Come," he said. "We need to talk." The two men went into the kitchen while Bianca waited worriedly outside. Every second that ticked by was like a painful reminder that he hadn't said yes yet. But then again, she reflected, trying to find the silver lining in this stressing situation, he hadn't said no yet either. After what seemed like years, maybe decades, passed, they emerged. To her delight, the farmer looked happy.

"Bianca," her father started in a firm tone. "Are you sure, absolutely sure, you want to marry him?" he asked his daughter. The girl didn't even pause before answering.

"Yes, I do," she said to her father.

"Alright," he then concluded. "You may marry him, only if you are positive, though."

"Oh, I am," she said, barely able to contain her excitement. "Thank you Father!" Then she ran into Raguna's arms and hugged him.

* * *

The following Holiday was the single happiest day of Bianca de Sainte-Coquille's life. Raguna stood at the altar with Wesley, beaming at her as she made her slow procession up the aisle next to Jasper. Her fellow Kardians watched all around her, and she couldn't help but grin when she was next to the love of her life. Soon, both of them had said their 'I do's and Wesley had announced "You may now kiss the bride." A collective awe of appreciation went up throughout the onlookers, and tears of joy leaked out of the corners of Bianca's eyes. As they made their way back to Raguna's farm, her home now too, she felt like she had finally found where she wanted to be-next to Raguna. And she would stay there where ever life may take her.


End file.
